Category Archives: Offensive Philosophy

The Backcourt is the no-man’s land for an offense. Scoring passes very rarely originate from this area and if anything, this area of the court serves more as a heightened place of anxiety and nerves. Being stuck in the backcourt for a player without a clear idea of what to do is a recipe for disaster.

To try and overcome some of the more common issues faced when moving the ball up the floor a couple key points have been highlighted. These are explained below:

Good spacing makes passing over the defence all the more easier. This can help move the ball out of the backcourt at pace. (Photo Source: JayBe)

Spacing

One of the common problems seen in the backcourt is spacing. Poor spacing has a number of draw backs for the offense. The results of which are that it takes more passes, more players, and more time to move a ball up the floor and across halfway.

While being too far apart can also provide issues, the optimum range should be somewhere between ten and fifteen feet depending on the age, strength and competence of players.

Full court trapping is one of the more challenging situations to be faced by players. When this happens spacing is often the one characteristic the defence detests the most. Good spacing means for the defence that there are always gaps, the seams in the defence become bigger and if beaten, the help defence takes longer to come into play.

Receivers and Runners

When an offense is trying to advance a ball up the court, the fastest way to do so is through passing the ball, not dribbling. The fleetest of foot Point Guard will always be beaten by a well-executed transition (if not, then you might need to look at your transition). To be effective though at any point within the progression of the ball there must be both receivers and runners involved.

Receivers are targets for the ball handler to pass to. Runners are those players primarily concerned with creating space and advancing to furthest position of an offensive individual down the floor. Both positions are equally important, and if the wrong balance is employed within a team’s transition or press breaker then the chances of a poor outcome increase.

If a team’s looks to bring too many receivers to the ball then they will inevitably slow, and in some cases stall the ability of the offense to push the ball ahead quickly. If not enough receivers present to the ball then too much work can be left for the ball handler to do. To help with this a simple rule of thumb can be applied. Whenever the ball is caught by an offensive player, there should be two receivers at any one time acting as possible targets. With the other two players acting as runners and stretching the defence further and further.

One lesson to be taught to players is the risk in passing across the split line in transition or traffic. Too many times players look for this pass and see the target without the impending dangers when attempting this type of pass. Passing across the split line and up the floor often lengthens the distance the ball must travel. This will result in the ball being in the air for longer and make the pass slower. Additionally, because of the angle of the pass, being able to judge the position of defenders relevant to the target becomes very difficult. It is not easy, even for experienced players to be able to judge this well. A turnover in the backcourt often leads to an immediate scoring opportunity so the pressure to make the right choice is higher.

Often the simplest rules are the best for solving problems within sports because they don’t reply on complicated steps and actions to be performed by individuals on the court during pressure situations. Look to a team’s spacing, receivers and runners when trying to advance the ball out of the backcourt and you will probably identify a large percentage of problems.

The Lay-up is one of the most widely used skills in basketball. For most players this is their very first technique learnt when attempting to score. The lay-up forms one of the most fundamental skills developed in basketball and so therefore it is often seen as a point of frustration when junior, senior or elite players fail to perform the skill both during training and in games.

The problem is that no one scoring technique will ever be perfect and all skills across the gamut of basketball will need to be rehearsed, broken down, or re-taught from time to time to ensure they continue to be performed at an acceptable level of competence. The lay-up though can have some inherent issues when teaching and then performing. Some common reasons are defined below…

Poor Technique

When players are not well-drilled, they can become very complacent when going through the motions of performing skills. The skill does not need to be simple for this happen, but can be very complex, and still this issue persists. Standards during practice need to be set for the team and then monitored for each individual. Allowing slow repetitions or “loose” technique only serves to create bad habits for players. The lay-up will be a skill that players often become complacent in performing because of its often overuse in similar situations.

Lack of Depth or Confidence in Skill Set

There are a number of different lay-up techniques that can be taught and utilised by a player during a competitive training sessions drills or a game. If a player does not have knowledge or confidence with these various techniques, they will never utilise them and continue to force bad shots, because in their mind they have no other option. For example if a player is looking to perform a lay-up on the right side of the basket and the defender stops this option, if the player does not possess the ability to perform a reverse lay-up on the left hand side, they will more than likely still try to force the right hand lay-up or another poor shot.

Poor exposure of players to a variety of angles in which to practice their lay-up will lead to a limited development of the skill and a lack of ability to convert in games (Photo Source: Wm Chamberlain)

Mind Numbing Repetition

Drills can have a very beneficial effect for players when they are starting to learn new techniques and skills. Well thought out drills can provide a great opportunity for skills like the lay-up to be progressively developed, refined and performed.

However, many drills do feature similar aspects such as where the drill starts and the angle they finish at the basketball hoop. This causes players to become accustom to laying the ball up from a particular position or within a certain angle. This is obviously not the case in games and coaches should take notice of the drills they regularly use and look for different ways to finish the scoring movement so players gain variety and experience from other angles when trying to perform a lay-up.

Game Pace

Probably the most common reason across many errors is the poor rehearsal of players during training sessions of skills at a game pace. Players should be encouraged to progress from being introduced to a skill, to attempting to perform the skill at game pace as quickly as possible.

Playing through the Contact

Many developing players struggle with the concept of basketball being a semi-contact sport but the contact around the keyway and to the basket often being heavy at different times. This can cause player to shy away from this contact for fear of being hurt. This in turn makes players adjust their technique causing issues.

The use of bump pads can be a very useful transitioning piece of equipment in helping players become used to contact before moving into live defensive situations. Players can also be taught in these situations not only how to play through the contact, but implement more advanced techniques to help use the bump.

The next stage of development is to incorporate “live” defence into each drill during the final stages of instruction.

Game Play

Players need opportunities to be able to play in competitive or game like situations. These can range from 1 on 1 to 5 on 5 scenarios. All of these options are beneficial at some level. A coach must be active in providing feedback about made as well as missed baskets.

In competitive situations, it is important to realise in games that only in a few times will a player be truly isolated (especially when playing from the perimeter). The use of 1 v 2 situations where help defence is triggered similar to game situations will be most beneficial from helping players in trying to improve their individual offense, including the lay-up.

The lay-up will provide players with great satisfaction during their early stages of development and become a staple for more experienced players across their careers in basketball. Taking the time to focus on the points mentioned above will serve players to develop a better-rounded and more complete game as well as improving their lay-up technique and performance.

For many teams having a Zone Offense is just part of a good plan in preparing for all the challenges of a game situation. In some circumstances, teams might even have two or three different offenses, or variations of offenses to deal will all the possible zone defence challenges anticipated. So what is to be done when all of these options come up short against a zone defence? What is a coach and team to do in these situations…

When things seem to be hitting a wall and nothing is working reflect back on these principles of play to try and find the fix.

Characterise the Zone Defence

Reassess what type of Zone Defence the team is facing. Analyse the formation, where offensive space is on the court, where are the seams in the zone defence and where should players should position themselves at the start of the offense.

Varying the position of players before the zone offense starts can increase the gap or seams in the zone defence. This might be all that is need to create just enough space in the defence for good scoring opportunities to be created. It should be noted that within most offense’s players can be shifted marginally so not to affect the overall movement or flow of the offense.

If the zone offense is the right one to be matched against the defence then look to what other reasons might be contributing to the poor execution of the offense/offensive output.

Vary the tempo

When facing a zone defence sometimes a team can try to take the first opportunity that presents itself. Regardless of if, this is within the players shooting range. After successive missed opportunities, this can create pressure both for the individual and also for the team. In these instances, the offense should be slowed to allow players time to find the right shooting opportunity for themselves and the team as a whole.

One option to slow the offense is to ask players to utilise fakes when they have the ball in their hands. Upon catching the ball players should square up to the basket, using a shot fake or jab step to create space and engage the defender so to slow the offense without stalling it.

Another option is the speed up the offense by looking to place more importance on finding a shot during the fast break, primary or secondary transition phases. Sometimes expressed as an eight-second offense this does not allow the defence to set-up and find its normal structure.

Move on Passes

Because of the nature of a zone defence, when the ball is passed into or around the keyway the individual defensive players tend to collapse towards the ball. This clogs the possible options of the interior player and assists with the defenders being able to play an over active role in help defence.

To combat this situation and turn this stifling type of play into an advantage the offense, players who after passing into the post (high or low) must relocate to space for catch and shoot opportunities. If the shot is within the players range and they are well prepared with good foot position and balance then these shooting opportunities can be very effective in forcing change in a zone defence.

Screening will help create mis-matches and close to the basket scoring opportunities for a zone offense provided screeners are prepared to seal (Photo: Jeramey Jannene)

Focus on Screeners as Targets

Within most types of zone offense screening is used as a feature for players to break from of their defender or create space to work within. When a zone offense is working well the main aim is for the cutter to be the intended primary scoring target. However, if an offense starts to misfire then often the screener can become a much utilise option to help create points.

For interior players this might see the screener sealing on the screened player. Another option is for the interior player to screen away from the ball and establish a good position so when the ball is reversed they are a good target.

For perimeter players screening can lead to screen and pop, or screen and fade situations where being two passes away from the ball when setting the screen allows for the defence to be pulled away from their position on the floor enough to create a well-timed, uncontested shot.

Freeze and Gap Dribbling

Another option when reviewing a team’s failing zone offense is to look to the technique of using gap or freeze dribbles to condense the defence into certain sections of the half court so other areas become more open.

Two well-executed freeze or gap dribbles in a row on the perimeter will always lead to an open shot or interior scoring opportunity away from where the first dribble was taken. For example if the ball is first utilised in a freeze dribble situation on one wing, then the player who is two passes away will eventually have a scoring opportunity. Provided the players between them and ball utilise a freeze or gap dribble to condense the defence.

A well prepared zone offense is not guarantee of scoring opportunities being easy to come by. Nevertheless, a well-drilled team will be able to adapt to the challenges faced and vary their style of play enough to find a rhythm again.

Making a Shot in basketball is one of the main driving factors for players to constantly work on their game. Refining their technique, improving their shooting percentage, and then making that shot in a game is all part of the deep seeded motivation behind many hours of individual training on courts around the world. Watch any young player for long enough, and they will start to play out making that shot in front of thousands of people and replicate what they see in their heroes with their imagination.

What is not commonly discussed about a player’s shot technique is the ever-changing phase of development that must happen as a player grows. For many young athletes when they first start out in the sport they can struggle with the technique commonly prescribe to older players. All players mature differently and it may not be uncommon for players to be unable to perfect the truly desired form of their shooting technique until they are ten or eleven years of age. Even then, some compensation needs to be given to how young bodies grow and how everyone matures at different rates.

As players grow their shot will change. The mechanics can be brought in line with the desired shooting technique all coaches strive for (Photo Source: SD Dirk)

A player’s Shooting Technique will need constant analysis over the course of their playing career. Many players often over this time will need to change their shot as firstly they develop from being a junior to a senior and as they become more refined in their action. This will mean some players have to change their shot significantly a number of times. The arms help direct the ball more than any other part of the shooting action so it is vital for a coach to have some fundamental knowledge about the shooting action in regards to this aspect.

The technique involved in the positioning and follow through of the shooting arm is the single most significant aspect of the shooting action. However, for those younger players using two hands, instead of the preferred one, maybe the only way they can generate enough power to launch the ball towards the hoop. Many coaches can become overly concerned with these variations in technique. Players will often develop these wide range of characteristics because they are suitable for them in just trying to make a shot. Instead of trying to refine the hand position or the two-handed shooting form, why not work on footwork, body or head positioning.

As a coach if you take away the elements that are leading to the successful shot by a player. Such as using both arms to generate power, you are only going to be frustrated by a player who sees this as their only option for achieving the desired outcome. The player will resist these changes and resent them if they feel they cannot achieve what they had previously been able to do with their “modified” shot.

Of course for older players the technique needs to constantly be reshaped and refine until the correct technique is implemented with better effect. Some players form will be poor because of technique, but this rarely the case for those players in the younger age groups as identified earlier. The evolution of their technique is just a by-product of wanting to shoot and score however they can.

A players shot over time will change. It has to, as many players struggle to implement the correct technique especially during their adolescent years. Initially though, being able to get the ball as high as the hoop, and then occasionally getting the ball in is worth a hundred hours of motivation when compared to practicing the correct shooting technique. By picking appropriate areas to change in a players shooting action and watching them experience success gradually, and deliberately, a coach can mould a players shot without hurting their passion for the game. It is worth remembering that as a young player in the sport, when they watch Lebron James shoot the ball, they focus on the shot going in, not his perfect shooting technique…

When thinking about on-ball screens one aspect which can be glossed over is the ball handlers Pivot Foot. The pivot foot plays a very significant part in the development of different opportunities involving an on-ball screen. Choosing to adopt one philosophy over another in regards to what foot is to be pivoted on, will have different benefits. Having a team that can interchange which foot to pivot on will help in adapting to defensive play and exposing weaknesses within an opposition.

Many coaches when starting out will usually develop a philosophy around which foot is to be pivoted on when using an on-ball screen. This is often glazed over and automatically adopted from one coach to another as a standard teaching point. However, changing the pivot foot when using an on-ball screen brings a greater range and variety to a team’s style of play.

Varying the Pivot Foot can be helpful in splitting defenders allowing for offensive opportunities under a screen, instead of over it (Photo Source: University of the Fraser Valley)

The default technique commonly implemented is for the pivot foot to be to opposite where the screen is set. For example if setting an on-ball screen from the middle of the floor at a wing position. The ball handler would be expected to pivot on their low side foot (the foot closest to the baseline). This helps to facilitate an explosive push off the back leg and perform a stronger drive over the screen and towards the middle of the floor.

As a negative thought, this technique then makes the counter move of ripping the ball through and driving towards the baseline a slower and as a consequence less effective. Additionally, a defensive strategy in this situation is to try to push the ball handler high and off the on-ball screen by having the defender guarding the screen lift early so the dribbler cannot move over the hip of the defender and turn the corner into the keyway. The on-ball defender will also try to move over the screen and so overplay the middle of the floor.

What happens if we look at this scenario with the ball handler pivoting on the high side foot?

If the pivot foot for the wing player is on the high side (foot closest to the halfway line) then some interesting tactical options now become more readily available. One advantage is the benefit for the ball handler in driving baseline. The ball defender will have to guard the perimeter player more in front/straight up or risk being split away from their defensive counterpart guarding the screener. The on-ball defender will no longer be able to overplay the high side of the dribbler. This will also see the on-ball defender needing to react more strongly to jab steps towards the baseline or fail to defend the baseline drive.

A weakness to a high side pivot foot is the effect of essentially slowing down the use of the on-ball screen, as the dribbler has to step across their body. This can hamper some limited dribbling players, as this also has the effect of closing the player’s vision partially over their shoulder, as they have to rotate their hips and torso more to create the necessary effective screening angle.

Being able to use either foot as the pivot provides a more flexible on-ball screen offense. Similar to teaching a range of options for guarding an on-ball screen, using the screen effectively from a high or low pivot foot makes a team that much more effective against a range of opposition tactics. Changing the pivot foot when playing against teams just makes defending that more challenging and allows and offense to use an on-ball screen by either going over or under through different reads.